The two yearling sea lions couldn’t even lift their heads. They were in a pen with two individuals farther on the road to recovery but were soon separated out for extra monitoring, Minnesota Zoo aquarist Nicole Williamson recalls.

They were her first stop each morning as she arrived for her shift at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center (PMMC) in Laguna Beach, California. Nicole was there to lend her aid and experience with one of the biggest crises to affect wild sea lions in decades. These yearlings were but two of the hundreds of sea lions found sick on beaches in Orange County in June and July 2023.

A healthy sea lion eats more than 5% of its body weight in fish every day. But these yearlings weren’t eating at all. Nicole worried they wouldn’t make it. That this illness was too much to overcome.

“But then one morning, one of the yearlings was waiting for me at the gate when I arrived,” Nicole says. “He ate the fish I fed him, and then another. In him, I could see the transformation, the difference we were making. It was incredible.”

Nicole Williamson, Minnesota Zoo Aquarist, cares for a wild sea lion recovering from domoic acid poisoning at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, California in July 2023. She uses a baffle board as a barrier to keep both her and the wild animal safe.

Nicole and her Minnesota Zoo colleague Miranda Bovy traveled to California when the PMMC, a marine mammal rehabilitation hospital, needed help providing intensive care for a huge influx of patients.

The phone rang and rang with reports of sea lions behaving erratically. Dazed and confused. Heads bobbing and swaying. Some were lethargic, others with active seizures or even comatose. Lifeguards told bystanders to back away; the animals were aggressive if approached.

Marine mammal experts had seen it before, during algae blooms called ‘red tides.’ The sea lions were sick with domoic acid poisoning.

Domoic acid is a neurotoxin produced by marine algae. It’s harmless to the small fish that eat the algae. But when large quantities of these fish are eaten by sea lions and dolphins, the toxin accumulates and causes critical—if not fatal—illness in the mammals.

There is no cure for the condition, only supportive care. After safely securing the ill animals and transporting them to PMMC, veterinarians and animal care staff administered fluids to flush the toxin from the body and gave anti-seizure medications as needed. They fed them fish uncontaminated by the toxin. They hoped for a full and swift recovery so they could release them back into the wild.

As algae bloomed in the warm waters of southern California in June and July, the PMMC went on rescues daily. The sick animals soon filled—and overflowed—every pen, pool, and spare space of their rehabilitation facility.

The PMMC staff and volunteers were stretched to the max—they needed more hands on deck.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the federal agency responsible for cetaceans, seals, and sea lions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, issued a nationwide call to zoos and aquariums.

Could zoo keepers with pinniped experience come to California to help?

Miranda Bovy, Minnesota Zoo Animal Care Technician, preps fresh fish to feed to sea lions recovering from domoic acid poisoning at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, California in July 2023.

Two from the Minnesota Zoo were ready to dive in.

Pinniped Pros

Miranda Bovy and Nicole Williamson have considerable experience in caring for pinnipeds, the family of marine mammals with fins or flippers, including sea lions, seals, and walruses.

Miranda is an Animal Care Technician who began her career in marine mammals as a Minnesota Zoo intern 15 years ago. Since then, she’s dedicated more than 10 years to working with California sea lions and seals, including at the Brookfield Zoo in Illinois and the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.

Nicole joined the Minnesota Zoo earlier this year. For 12 years, she served as an Aquarist at the Aquarium of the Pacific and also assisted mammalogists with seal and sea lion care. Her interest in sea life dates to childhood.

“I’m literally living the dream of 6-year-old me, “ Nicole says. “I never grew out of it.”

Between their passion for pinnipeds, can-do attitudes, and commitment to the zoo and aquarium community, Miranda and Nicole were naturals to help the PMMC.

Long Shifts, Full Hearts

It was high summer in California. Palm trees. Blue water. Sandy beaches. But no flip-flops for Miranda and Nicole.

“We wore waders, boots, and masks when working with the sea lions,” Nicole says. “I’ve never sweated so much.”

In 12-hour shifts for 10 days straight in mid-July, they prepped fresh, uncontaminated fish and fed it to sea lions. Misted animals to keep them cool. Monitored for seizures. Safely moved animals so they could clean pens. Then moved them back again.

“Some were in pretty rough shape,” Nicole says. “They were skin and bones.” When animals perked up and began eating, staff were cautiously optimistic, hoping the seizures wouldn’t return.

Working with wild sea lions—versus animals accustomed to humans and who voluntarily participate in their own care—proved a significant challenge.

“It’s very thrilling work but sometimes precarious,” Nicole says. “Wild sea lions will 100% bite you.”

They used baffle boards to protect themselves from sea lions’ powerful jaws and sharp teeth, gently coaxing the animals to move to the desired location.

There was barely time to eat, Nicole says, between the animals’ daily care and the steady stream of distress calls. A bit like Baywatch lifeguards, she and Miranda were always ready to jump in a pickup truck and rush to a rescue.

“It was rewarding and heartbreaking work at the same time,” Nicole says. “It was emotional. You really want them to make it.”

Happily, they assisted with a release, too. On their last day in California, Miranda and Nicole helped load three rehabilitated sea lions onto a boat piloted by a PMMC supporter. They cruised 1.5 miles off the coast and let the sea lions loose in the waves. Nearby, they saw a sea lion with a tag on its flipper, indicating it had been a PMMC patient the previous year. Now healthy and swimming free. A survivor.

Miranda Bovy, Minnesota Zoo Animal Care Technician, mists wild sea lions with water to keep them cool in the summer heat as they recover from domoic acid poisoning at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach, California in July 2023.

Turning the Tide

Miranda and Nicole carried home from California many memories of unforgettable patients, new knowledge of marine mammals, and the certainty they made a difference for sea lions.

“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside the team at PMMC,” Miranda says. “I could apply my experience in new ways there while also learning so much.”

As of early August, the PMMC reports the algae bloom, and its toxic effect on sea lions, is subsiding. Over 65% of the rescued sea lions were saved.

“We could not have kept up without the people sent from zoos, aquariums, and stranding network partners who were instrumental in ensuring these very sick sea lions received the lifesaving care they needed,” says Dr. Alissa Deming, Vice President of Conservation Medicine and Science at PMMC.

In addition to the Minnesota Zoo, the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, the Vancouver Aquarium, and the National Marine Mammal Foundation sent zoo keepers and veterinarians to support the rehabilitation efforts.

“Due to the expertise of our staff, we were able to provide immediate support to our partners on the west coast in this time of need,” says Kurt Heizmann, Director of Animal Care at the Minnesota Zoo.  “Thanks to the experience of Miranda and Nicole, the Minnesota Zoo could provide some relief.”

He says the Minnesota Zoo is committed to partnering with other zoos, aquariums, and facilities like the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. It’s essential in times of crisis—and all the time.

“[With partners], not only can we help save individual animals, but it helps us gain better understanding of the threats that marine mammals face,” Kurt says. “Studying these threats and their effects allows us to better understand how to resolve them.”